PORTLAND, Ore., Oct 21, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Men experiencing a deficiency in the male hormone testosterone tend to forget things faster than their healthy counterparts, U.S. researchers reported Thursday.

Oregon Health & Science University researchers were studying how testosterone deprivation affects verbal memory as part of an overall study of prostate cancer therapy.

They found that word retention drops sharply after only two minutes among men undergoing testosterone deprivation therapy -- while initial learning, or encoding, of the words was the same for both testosterone-deprived and healthy men.

In testosterone deprivation or ablation, the testicles are surgically removed or medications are given to block the production of male hormones, principally testosterone, which can promote prostate cancer growth. This common treatment for prostate cancer wipes out most male hormones found in the body.

Researchers examined 30 individuals -- 14 men undergoing androgen deprivation treatment for prostate cancer and 16 healthy, age-matched men.

• More news on Memory
• More news on Men's Health Issues
• More news on Prostate Cancer

Related MedlinePlus Pages:

• Memory
• Men's Health Issues
• Prostate Cancer